17 HarnetStreet The Golden Crust Bakery coffeehouse (now no. 38) was the first to serve real
coffeeinSandwich.TheenterprisewasnotduetoSandwich’sproximitytothecontinent,butthecustomofdiscerningJewishrefugeesfromtheRichboroughKitchener camp. Independent coffee shops continue to thrive in the town, asignifierofsurvivinggoodtaste.
18 BreezyCorner Isitreallythatdraughtyhere?OrcouldthisbenamedaftertheFrenchMarshal,
PierredeBrézé,wholedtheattackonSandwichin1457andsackedthisareaoftown?
19 MarketStreet Ahubforshopsandtrades,fittingitsname.Sandwichboastsalonglineageof
watchmakers,manyofthemtradingfrompremisesinthisstreet.‘Thesignofthegoldenkey’aboveRegalEstatesservedtoadvertisethewaresofWalterAkhurst’sironmonger’sshop(asdidthebuilding’scomic‘toolsofthetrade’statues),andlater The Golden Key Hotel, before being adopted by the equally appropriateestateagents.Shopdoormats inthetowncanhidedecorativeentrances: lookunderfootatno.19forF.H.Jacobs,ironmonger,chinaandglassdealer,whoalsopublishedearlypicturepostcardsofthetown.
Not the blue plaque tour
of SandwichcompiledbySoniaOverall
withthankstoJohnHennessy,JanCooper,SandwichLocalHistorySociety
andSandwichGuildhallArchivesfortheirlocalknowledgeandassistance
writtensources:Clarke,H.,Pearson,S.,Mate,M.&Parfitt,K.Sandwich.OxbowBooks,2010.EnglishHeritage&KCC.Sandwich,KentHistoricTownsSurvey.ArchaeologicalAssessmentDocument,2009Kelly’sDirectory:1895;1899;1907;1922.Martin,E.OccupationsofthePeopleofSandwich.SandwichLocalHistorySociety,1978Pain’sDirectory:1938;1948
1 TheQuay Nowalandscapedparkandplayarea,thereclaimedspaceherewasn’talwaysso
greenandpleasant.Thiswasoncethesiteofashipbuilder’syard,ablacksmith’sforgeandby1839,theSandwichCorporationGasWorks.
2 HighStreet PelicaneHousewasthetown’smunitionsbuilding; thechequerboardflintand
castellatedrooflinetheflexingarchitecturalmusclesofastrong-house.Rumourhas it that this area is honeycombed with smuggling tunnels running into StPeter’sChurch.WhenalandlordofthenearbyAdmiralOwenattemptedtopumpout his flooded cellar, he soon discovered that he had set himself the task ofdrainingwaterfromhisneighbours’cellarstoo…
3 HolyGhostAlley InmatesfromtheoldGaoloppositewouldwalkthroughthisalleytoaday’slabour
onthetowntreadmill.Thealley’ssuddenbendissaidtohavebeenemployedbylocalprankstersavengingthemselvesonanunpopularteacher,andasausefulbluffforsmugglerspursuedbyexcisemen.
4 LoveLane NowknownforthemostpartasStPeter’sStreet,thisaptly-namedareawasthe
siteofthemedieval‘stews’ofSandwich.Thetownwasrareinhavingamunicipalbrothel or ‘galey’, something usually reserved for cities. You can still find ‘LoveLane’signageattheStrandStreetend.
5 KingStreet DutchandFlemishrooflinesareevidentabovebuildingshere-asarethepainted
advertisementsforMartin,cakeandbreadmaker,stilllegibleoverno.30.
6 NewStreet Inthe14thCentury,AugustiniancannonscouldbeseenwalkingfromStThomas’
Hospital, sited here, to the chantry chapel in St Peter’s Church. Their regularshortcutgavethenametoAustin’s(Augustine’s)Lane.
7 Guildhall Animpressivefocalpointforthetown,theGuildhallhadoriginsinamoremodest
MootHallwhichstoodinthechurchyardofStPeter’s.TheforecourtwaspartofCornmarket,themarketitselftakingplaceonWednesdayafternoonsintheFleurdeLispub.
8 CattleMarket Pens,stallsandastockringstoodherebeforethecarparkanddoctor’ssurgery.
ThenearbyRedCowservedtheagriculturaltraders:thewallandemptywindowsnextdoorarestarkremindersoftheworkhouse,demolishedinthe1890s.
11 TanneryLaneandLoopStreet Thisareaboastedthearomasofanabattoir,tanneryandbone-buttonfactory,all
locatedinrathersinisterproximitytoHorsePondSluice.
12 ChurchStreetStMary’s StMary’sparishwasthe ‘rough’partofSandwich,housingpoorly-paiddrovers
fromthecattlemarket.ThisstreetwasonceknownlocallyasBloodandThunderAlley due to the number of brawls on the ‘green’ by the church. Poverty wasaconcernwell intothe1900s.Abreaddole,prepared inthebakehouseatthecorneroftheKing’sHead,wasdistributedbyStMary’sChurchtothepooroftheparish.ThelargeovenswerealsousedbylocalresidentstoroastSundayjointsandChristmasdinners.
13 ParadiseRow Giventhename,it’snosurprisethatthisbackstreetisrumouredtohaveserveda
similarfunctiontoLoveLane.
14 StrandStreet Famed for its timber-framed houses and once the medieval port’s waterfront.
The merchants who lived here were great importers of wine: so many winebarrelswererolledalongthisstreetthatanorderwasgivenfortheremovalofallmetalbarrel-rims.Theconstanttrafficwasbreakinguptheroad.Appropriately,Three Kings Yard served as a public house, its distinctive ‘bridge’, carved withgrapevines, providing access for coaches. Did those wine barrels roll into theNormanmerchant’scellarnextdoor?Thelong-standingtraditionofbrewinginthetownwasalsotobefoundinthisstreet.TheEastKentBreweryCompany,lastofthemanySandwichbrewers,operatedfromGuestlingMill-partofwhichissaidtocontainastretchofthemedievaltownwall.
15 BowlingStreet Bowlingwasaregulatedactivityinthe16thCentury:thecombinationofgaming
and drinking distracted the lower classes from work and archery practice.HenryVIII,akeenbowler, leviedtaxesonbowlingalleys toexcludeallbut thewealthiestplayers.GaminglawswereeasilywinkedatandSandwichhadatleastonebowlingalleyatthesignoftheWhiteHartinStrandStreet,probablysitedopposite Bowling Street. There were certainly plenty of taverns in this area toaccommodatewould-begamers.
16 DelfStreet Industrythrivedhere,includingafamed19thCenturyironfoundry.Atradesman
makingpipesinthisstreetcannilycarvedhissignintotheshuttersofClaypipes:nextdoor,Cobbler’sCottagestillboastsanearlyVictorianshopfront.Acrosstheroad,thesignoftheMaltShovelHouserevealsthepremisesofapub.TheparishboundarysignofStPeter’sandStMary’scanbeseenpaintedonthewallhere,delineatingresponsibilityforthepoorofthetown.(AgrandercounterpartforStClement’sandStPeter’siscutintostoneinthefarwealthierHighStreet.)
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9 MoatSole Inthe1970s,residentsofarentedcottageherewerepuzzledbytheunexplained
soundofchildrensinging,aneventwhichoccurredeverySeptember.Thesinginghalted abruptly whenever investigated. When a handwritten book of hymnsfromStPeter’sChurchChoirwasfoundinalocalbookshop,oneofthetunes-adistinctivereworkingofTheHollyandtheIvy-matchedthesingingexactly.Thehymnbookdatedfromthe1890s.Presumablythesingersdid,too.
10 TheButts TheButtswasusedtopracticearcheryskills,andissaidtohaveservedasarange
forthelongbowmenofHenryVbeforeAgincourt.Lesswell-knownisthefield’suseasanencampmentforplaguevictims.Followingoutbreaks inthe1600s,asmallvillageofplaguetentswaspitchedhere,overseenbyacourageouson-sitedoctor.
